By MIKE DiMAURO

Among my favorite classes back in the day at Boston College was freshman year philosophy with the great Dr. Peter Kreeft, the first time in my life I’d actually pondered existential questions, rather than my normal, surface level, “so who’s pitching today?”

And so in honor of recent events and Dr. Kreeft’s impact, here is some BC-related existentialism some of us have contemplated over the years:

Where do athletics truly fit in at BC?

Those of us whose primary lifeline to the school remains through athletics might have a different answer than the academicians. But I think we’d all agree that while BC’s mission isn’t to be a sports factory, there have been enough quality players, teams and moments over the years to sustain the bonafides.

Why am I asking all this? 

Because it occurred to me that even with the recent struggles of many BC teams, athletics are providing a rather radiant window for the country to see the very best of the institution. And it’s not about winning games. It’s about nurturing the remarkable, relentless spirits of Pete Frates, Welles Crowther and their transcendent legacies.

Seriously: What other school in the country can trumpet such compelling stories annually about two of the most courageous student-athletes in the history of the world?

I thought about this frequently Saturday watching the annual ALS Awareness game at Fenway Park. The ACC Network brought announcers Karl Ravech and Mike Rooney to the Fens (they’ll do the College World Series on ESPN, too) for what became a three-hour infomercial on Frates, his family, their tireless work to find a cure for ALS, the impact they have on the BC family and Birdball as a whole.

This comes a few months after the annual Red Bandanna Game to honor Crowther, an American hero, who lost his life risking it to save others Sept. 11, 2001.

I thought: Folks out there, even if they originally thought “BC” stands for “British Columbia,” must be watching this thinking this BC is a cool place. In the fall, a full football stadium regaled in red bandannas. In the spring, America’s Most Beloved Ballpark decked out in full Frates. 

In other moments, I’ve wondered how the school as a whole is perceived nationally through the athletics prism. Do John in Denver and Dolly in Madison consider BC only as an academic haven with a nice campus, whose recent athletic struggles have rendered it an annuity for the rest of the ACC? Maybe some do.

But then you see the football and baseball brands on national television with announcers gushing over the emotions of the days and you think that maybe BC’s sports narrative tells a bigger story. 

The original question, about where athletics fit into BC, should feature the answer “prominently” forthwith. I sense that incoming president Father Jack Butler, once the football team’s chaplain, gets it. But at BC, athletics may have assumed an even deeper meaning, given the power of red bandannas and ice bucket challenges. 

BC sports are suddenly a window of inspiration, tethered to saving lives. The stories of Frates and Crowther can’t get told enough. Crowther personifies the BC ethos “men and women for others,” while Frates has become the cleanup hitter in the fight against ALS. The stories transcend sports and yet are sports all at the same time. And I hope the BC hierarchy understands the significance.

Saturday in the park was a landmark day for BC. As Frates’ story permeated every minute of the broadcast, details of this awesomely awesome Birdball season were interspersed. BC baseball of 2026 is the best kind of story: The kind that comes from nowhere. Picked last, darn near first. And they play with a get-knocked-down-and-get-up-again style that would make Frates and his family proud.

Much like Rick and Ilsa always had Paris in “Casablanca,” BC will always have Welles Crowther and Pete Frates, ice buckets and red bandannas, as reminders of the place’s unyielding spirit. Indeed, the best of Boston College gets told through sports nowadays, even during these days of a 2-10 football season, two fired basketball coaches and hockey’s tournament miss.

Better days are ahead on the fields and courts. But the vibe at Fenway Saturday? Complete gold. Maroon and gold, actually.

Mike DiMauro, a columnist in Connecticut, is a contributor to Eagles Daily and a member of BC’s Class of 1990. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or on X @BCGenius   

By MIKE DiMAURO

Twenty years ago this week, the Associated Press men’s top 25 basketball poll, dated Feb. 15, 2006, showed the No. 13 team in the country to be the Boston College Eagles.

That team, which would make the ACC championship game (lost by a bucket to Duke), would send three players to the NBA: Craig Smith, Jared Dudley and Sean Williams.

Twenty years ago this March, BC was the answer to the question, “Which schools sent both their men’s and women’s basketball teams to the Sweet 16?” That’s right. The men under Al Skinner and the women under Cathy Inglese. It was the BC’s women’s third trip to the Sweet 16 in seven years under Inglese, whose 2004 team won the Big East Tournament in Hartford, while Diana Taurasi was still playing at UConn.

The previous three paragraphs are presented as evidence that, no, BC is not some basketball desert. You can win at BC because, in no particular order, Bob Cousy, Dr. Tom Davis, Gary Williams, Jim O’Brien, Al Skinner and Cathy Inglese did. 

This may be hard to imagine for some of you, now that it’s 20 years later and we’re scalp deep into another Winter Of Our Discontent. From 20 years ago with a pair of Sweet 16s to 2026, when the combined records of men’s and women’s basketball is a crisp 13-40.

Now for the question I ask most nights watching this carnage: How did this get so bad?

Theories abound, of course, especially from the anti-BC crowd that appears to enjoy the narrative that leaving the Big East ruined BC basketball forever. Sadly for them, they fall into the category of being both loud and wrong at the same time. BC’s foibles have far less to do with the ACC – the Eagles made the men’s NCAA Tournament in three of the first four years in their new league – and far more to do with incompetent leadership.

Lest we forget that former athletic director Gene DeFilippo fired Tom O’Brien, Skinner and Inglese, three people who brought more respect to the BC name than DeFilippo or any of his successors ever did.

Since Skinner: Steve Donahue, Jim Christian, Earl Grant.

Since Inglese: Sylvia Crawley, Erik Johnson, Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. 

That’s 0-for-6.

Straight up: The goal here is not a character assassination of anyone. It’s to simply present some uncomfortable facts. The six coaches in question have a combined record of 449-604 (.426) with zero trips to the NCAA Tournament. 

In fairness, Bernabei-McNamee’s team in 2020 would have made the tournament comfortably, were it not for the pandemic. If she gets credit for that, though, then she’s also responsible for this year’s 4-24 team. How anyone could assemble this roster and think it ready for the ACC is staggering. Sure, they look engaged and play hard, but the gap in talent is bigger than Shaquille O’Neal. 

Athletic director Blake James, who hired neither Grant nor Bernabei-McNamee, should fire them at the end of the season. I do not suggest such things lightly, as livelihoods are to be taken seriously. But in a results-oriented business, the results simply aren’t there.

This will be the 17th straight year the men do not make the NCAA Tournament. It will be the 20th for the women. And so I ask: Is the statute of limitations ever going to run out on BC’s hiring incompetence? How long must it take to get the right people in here? Because, as previously stated: You can win here. Others have. 

James assured the masses via an email and on his recent podcast with Jon Meterparel that BC will be a “full participant” in revenue sharing next year, which will be in excess of $21 million. James needs to seek the full help of Friends of the Heights and his marketing department to maximize as many separate NIL deals as possible to compensate the kids competitively. 

And pause here for a 30-second timeout: I’m tired of listening to BC fans whine about the bonafides, or lack thereof, of the NIL model. It’s here to stay. Adapt or go to the Patriot League. It’s called C.B.D. (College Basketball Darwinism.)

Pay the players competitively and pay the new coaches commensurately. I get that BC doesn’t have Ohio State’s wherewithal. But it doesn’t need a Go Fund Me either. Athletics are the primary vehicle most alumni use to stay connected to the school. Let’s start treating them as such – and not Father Leahy’s tired act of a necessary evil.

Trips to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight actually happened at BC. So was winning the Big East Tournament. So was a 20-0 start to a season once. So was a full Conte Forum. No, really. That all happened. And it can happen again. 

Blake James, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Be better than your predecessors. I’m not asking. I’m begging.

Mike DiMauro, a columnist in Connecticut, is a contributor to Eagles Daily and a member of BC’s Class of 1990. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or on X @BCgenius    

The first half play for NC State was reminiscent of their predecessor, not a loser of nine games in a row. Running out to an early 13-2 lead, the Eagles failed to keep it competitive. BC turned the ball over 14 times. State’s Jayden Taylor had a fantastic half, with 16 points on five-of-ten shooting. Donald Hand led the Eagles with 13 points, finishing with 22 for the game. BC shot a pourus 36% from the field.

The second half of play was not much better for the Eagles, as they shot 34%. Although they kept the turn overs to a minimum, two, they could only climb within an eight point deficit with under a minute remaining.

Donald Hand continued his torrid scoring streak with 22 points, Chad Venning chipped in 14 points as well. Chas Kelley had 10 points, all which came in the first half.

The win for NC State snaps a 9-game losing streak and places them a a game above BC in the ACC standings. The Eagles have now lost four in a row, are 2-12 in conference play for 16th place and 10-15 overall.

BC looks to rebound against Virginia Tech this Tuesday, 9pm at Conte Forum.